Protection advice
We are
calling for people to be on their guard after a report of a telephone scam
in New Milton.
On Monday 11 November, we received a report that an
82-year-old woman from New Milton was called by someone claiming to be from
the ‘Visa Fraud Department’.
The caller claimed that there had been
fraudulent activity on the victim’s bank account. He asked her to go to her
bank and transfer £4,000 of her savings into another account for
safeguarding.
When the woman went to her bank, staff suspected it
might be a scam and the matter was reported to the police.
No money was
lost.
We would like to remind people that banks will never contact
you in this way. It is a scam.
If you do get a call from someone who
claims you need to withdraw money from a bank, hang up and report it, using
a different phone line. Make a note of the date and time of the call, and
the number, if available – this information could help any future
investigation.
Never reveal your bank details or give personal
information to people who cold call.
If you know someone who could be
taken in by such a scam, please take the time to speak to them and give them
this advice.
You can make yourself aware of this type of scam and how
to protect yourself against them by visiting the Action Fraud website:
www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
If you
or someone you know falls victim to this type of offence, please report it
immediately to police on 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress.
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PayPal Scam
A new PayPal scam/phishing email is
going around asking email recipients to click on a link to access their
PayPal account.
Do not click on the link. If you want to check your
account visit
www.Paypal.com
Action Fraud phishing email
A new Action Fraud
scam/phishing email is going around saying that they have money for email
recipients. Do not click on a link.
Under no circumstances will
Action Fraud, or a police force, ask you to make a payment in order to
recover money that you may have lost.
For more info visit
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/news/watch-out-for-fake-emails-claiming-to-be-action-fraud
For advice on how to keep yourself safe from online fraud and
cybercrime, please click
here.
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Victims have reported being offered the loans on their doorstep, via telephone, and over social media.
Fraudsters target victims who currently receive government benefits, or are eligible for Universal Credit:
One victim was introduced to this scam by a friend on social media. The friend helped them receive the ‘free grant’ of over £1,000, only to later be asked to transfer £500 to the fraudster’s account as a ‘finder’s fee’. The victim only realised they had fallen victim to a scam after they received a letter from DWP requesting repayments for the loan.
Protection advice
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With an estimated 3.7 billion genuine bank notes currently in circulation in the UK, counterfeiting is viewed as big business by organised crime syndicates.
Only a small fraction of banknotes are counterfeit, but it is essential that they are reported to the police.
In 2018 alone, around 461,000 counterfeit Bank of England banknotes with a face value of £10 million were taken out of circulation.
Last month, reports surfaced of criminals using social media platforms such as Instagram to promote and sell counterfeit money with sellers offering counterfeit notes for as little as a tenth of their face value.
In West Yorkshire, police confirmed a spate of incidents across the county in which counterfeit notes were used to pay for goods purchased online.
Victims made arrangements for the buyer to visit their home and pay in cash, only to find out afterwards that counterfeit notes had been used to pay for the goods.
In many cases, people are unsure about where to report counterfeit currency and what to do if they recover or are passed forged notes.
Head of Action Fraud, Pauline Smith said: “Criminals are using increasingly sophisticated networks and methods to make counterfeit notes and coins.
“If you have been passed or recover counterfeit currency, this should be reported to your local police force.
“Police are responsible for investigating the matter and they will liaise with National Counterfeit Currency Unit (aka UKNCO) at the National Crime Agency (NCA).
“Action Fraud does not deal with counterfeit currency offences or reports.”
What to do if you receive counterfeit currency
Please see the links below to websites that contain further information about security features present in bank notes and coins to assist you in determining if the item is counterfeit or genuine:
How to check your bank notes (Bank of England)
Banknote issuers (Scotland and Northern Ireland – how to check your bank notes)
Coin designs and specifications
If you have information about persons; making, supplying, passing or possessing counterfeit currency (banknotes and / or coins) please contact your local Police or report the matter anonymously to CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111 or online
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Individuals have been receiving phone calls from people claiming to be a
police officer or banking official
The suspect will say either:
Occasionally the victim will be told to dial a non-emergency extension of
‘161’ to receive confirmation of the individual’s bogus identity, the bogus
official will advise the victim to lie about the reason for the withdrawal
or purchase if challenged by staff, as the staff member is involved in the
fraud
A courier attends the victim’s home address to collect the goods the same
day Often the victim is given a code word for the courier as a way of
authentication.
What you need to do - Your Bank or Police will
Never
:-
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Action Fraud has received over 100 reports this week about fake emails purporting to be from TalkTalk. The emails state that the recipent's TalkTalk account is in credit and that they are owed a refund. The links in the emails lead to malicious websites.
Don't click on the links or attachments in any suspicious emails, and never respond to messages that ask for your personal or financial details.
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Fraudsters can ‘spoof’ telephone numbers so that people receiving the call
This
can also happen with a call made to your mobile phone – for example
Note
the Telephone Preference Service cannot protect you from these
How to keep safe from this type of fraud
1.
Don’t assume the caller is actually phoning from the number you
2.
Always be suspicious of unsolicited requests for personal or financial
3. If
in doubt, check with the organisation directly by phone or email
4. Do
not confirm anything to a ‘cold caller’ you don’t know and do not
5. Do
not be rushed into action. Question and check before acting.
If you’ve fallen victim to a scam - what next?
6. Stop
further payments – contact your bank or cancel your
7.
Report this has happened - contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040
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